


Girl Who Lived and the Black Prisoner of Azkaban

by the Divine Nataku (DivineRedhead)



Series: The Girl Who Lived [5]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Marauder reunion, Prisoner of Azkaban, always a girl!Harri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-19
Updated: 2013-03-19
Packaged: 2017-12-05 19:06:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/726871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DivineRedhead/pseuds/the%20Divine%20Nataku
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Golden Trio tracks down the infamous convict Sirius Black and get more than they bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Confrontation

**Author's Note:**

> "Girl Who Lived" take on the 3rd year storyline. I felt no need to rehash the entire book, choosing to pick up instead where things got interesting.

She stared hard at the gaunt figure standing before her, his wraith-like visage a far cry from the vibrant young man she recalled seeing in her photo album. Was this man really and truly the infamous Sirius Black? The man who had betrayed her parents to Voldemort?

Reason and rationality fleeing her mind almost instantly, she lunged toward him with a shrill cry of rage and anguish. Pinning him easily against the dusty shack floor, she ignored Ron's startled expletive and Hermione's sharp cry as she clasped her hands around his neck.

Black didn't resist, didn't so much as flinch or lift the stolen wand held in his limp grasp. Instead he merely lay there, gazing back up at her with mad, feverish eyes. "Are you going to kill me… Harri..?" he choked out, a raspy chuckle escaping his lips.

"You're damn right I am!" she snarled. "You betrayed my parents!" Freeing one hand, she withdrew her wand from her pocket, leveling it in his face. "It's your fault that they're dead!"

Something flickered behind the older wizard's hazy eyes, but she paid it no heed. She opened her mouth in invoke a spell, any spell, but was halted as the door to the shack suddenly burst open. A quick utterance of 'Expelliarmus' had her wand hurtling out of her grasp and into the air. Harri turned to snarl at her assailant, her eyes widening at the sight of their pale, worn Defense against the Dark Arts instructor.

"Professor Lupin?"

The older wizard regarded them with tired eyes, keeping his wand leveled on the young brunette. "Let him up, Harri," he ordered quietly.

She stared at him mutely, feeling as though she'd been punched in the gut. When he didn't lower his wand, she slowly relinquished her hold on Black, shakily rising to her feet. She was vaguely aware of Hermione grasping her arm, pulling her back towards Ron.

Lupin turned his attention to the prone wizard, his wand still held aloft. "Well," he said softly. "It's been a long time, hasn't it, Sirius?" He studied the bedraggled figure lying on the dusty shack floor, his face blank. "The years have not been kind."

Black let out a snort. "Don't know if you've noticed, Remus old boy, but the years haven't been so kind to you either."

The professor let out a short, bitter laugh. "No, I suppose they haven't." he agreed. Then, to the three youths' shock and horror, he lowered his wand, extending his free hand to Black to help him up.

Harri stared at the two of them as they suddenly embraced each other, clapping each other on the back like old reunited school chums. Was this real, she wondered, or some sort of sick joke…?

"I've done it, Remus," Black was muttering, gripping frantically at the worn sleeve of Lupin's robes. "I've finally done it!"

"Yes, I know, Sirius…"

The convict let out a shrill laugh, eyeing briefly Harri before raising his wand once again. "Come, let's put an end to it!"

"No!" Hermione shrieked, gripping Harri's arm again. She tried pushing her back behind her, but the brunette refused to budge. "How could you, Professor Lupin!" she cried shrilly. "How could you help him?!" Her brown eyes sparked with betrayal and disbelief toward their Defense teacher. "And to think after all this time I actually trusted you…!"

The two adults remained silent.

Ron stared at Hermione as he struggled to keep his grip on Scabbers, who seemed to be increasingly agitated at the mounting tension in the room. "Hermione," he gasped out, his face pale – no doubt from the nasty gash on his leg. "What are you talking about?!"

The bookworm glanced at him briefly before snapping her head back to their professor, jabbing an accusing finger towards him. "He's a werewolf!" she exclaimed. "That's why he's missed so many of our classes…" Lupin's eyes narrowed, but she held her ground. "And yet he's been in league with Black this whole time…"

Harri glared at Lupin in disbelief, the feeling of betrayal like a sharp dagger in her chest. The truth that he was a werewolf barely registered in her ears; it Hermione's second statement that shook her to the core. How many times had she gone to this man, confided in this man, and trusted this man…? To think that all the while he'd been in cahoots with her would-be killer!

"Very clever deduction, Miss Granger," he was saying coolly, as if they were in the midst of a lesson. His gaze alternated between Black – who was pacing like a caged tiger – and Harri. Refusing to show any weakness, the brunette kept her expression carefully blank, the only sign of her anger her white, trembling hands clenched into fists at her sides. He turned his attention back to Hermione. "How long have you known?"

She eyed him warily. "Since Professor Snape assigned us the essay." 

Both Harri and Ron rolled their eyes; off course she'd done it, even though he'd said they didn't have to… 

Lupin let out another dark laugh. "Well, you really are a remarkably bright witch, Miss Granger – brightest of your age in fac—"

"Enough of this!" Black interrupted with a snarl, his eyes flashing furiously. "No more talk, Remus! We do it now!"

Harri tensed, barely aware of her friends' hands grasping her arms as if to pull her out harm's way. Didn't they know by now? There was no way she was running away from this. Not now.

"Wait, Sirius," Lupin pleaded quietly. "Just wait a little while longer."

"I've done enough waiting!" the other wizard growled. "Twelve years I waited in Azkaban for this day…" His eyes found Harri's again, taking on a glassy quality. "Twelve long years…"

"I know, Sirius, I know…" said Lupin, his hand on Black's shoulder. Whether it was to reassure him or restrain him, Harri neither knew nor cared. "But Harriett at least deserves to know why…"

"I know why!" she spat hatefully, held in check only by her friends' vice-like grips on her arms. "Sirius Black betrayed my parents… thirteen people are dead thanks to him!"

Black stiffened, but before he could speak, Lupin beat him to the punch. "I thought so too at first… but that's not what happened… Someone else betrayed your parents that night and killed those muggles… someone who, up until now, I believed to be dead."

Green eyes darkened in confusion. "Who?"

"Peter Pettigrew!" Black spat, as if the mere utterance of the name left a foul taste in his mouth.

"Pettigrew?" Harri frowned. "But he's dead! He killed him along with the muggles."

"Oh noo…. He's very much alive…" Black insisted. "And he's here right now. In this very room. Aren't you, Peter?!"

"He's insane!" Ron whispered harshly. "Absolutely insane!" 

"Think, Harri," Lupin said sharply. "That night in the corridor... You said you saw his name on the map."

Harri blinked in confusion, "Yes, but the map was wrong--"

"The map is never wrong!" Sirius barked sharply. "Never! We designed it!"

"You?" The brunette shook her head. "N-no... it was Messrs Moony--"

Sirius' hazy eyes focused on her once again, pinning her in place. "Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs... The four mischievous Marauders of Hogwarts! Prongs is gone, Padfoot locked away, Moony was left all alone, whilst Wormtail hides awaaayy.." He turned away with a manic laugh. "But now the jig is up, isn't it? Come on out, Peter! Come out, come out, wherever you are--!"

"Well, well, well," a silky voice intoned, cutting off Black's mad ranting. "What have we here?" All heads turned, zeroing in on the dark form of Severus Snape as he appeared out of the inky blackness of the hall. With a sharp flick of his wrist, Lupin's wand flew from his hand, skittering across the floor.

"Severus," he began.

"Save it," the Potions master snarled. "I warned the Headmaster that you were in cahoots with your old friend Black, helping him sneak into the castle. And now I've caught you both together; I'm sure the Aurors are going to be thrilled."

Lupin paled. "Wait a moment, Severus, you're making a mistake—!"

Black scoffed loudly. "How like ol' Snivellus," he sneered. "Once again he sticks his abnormally large nose into other people's business and *still* manages to come to the wrong conclusion!"

An expression of dark loathing so strong passed over Snape's face, and before Lupin could interject, he thrust his wand towards Black's throat. "Give me a reason," he hissed. "Don't think I won't do it…"

Black glared back at him, but remained silent.

"Nothing to say now, eh Black?" he said jeeringly. "You know… perhaps I should just give you over to the Dementors." A flash of fear flickered in the other wizard's eyes and the Potion master's smirk turned positively sinister. "Afraid are we? You should be – rumor has it they're waiting to give you a little… kiss."

Black swallowed deeply, his sallow face paling even further.

Snape seemed to be enjoying himself, as he continued on. "Yes… I do believe that's what I'll do. I've heard that the Kiss is unbearable to watch, but for you I'm sure I'll do my best!" He turned towards Harri, Ron, and Hermione, his eyes narrowing as he assessed them. "You three – outside! Now!"

Hermione immediately moved to help Ron to his feet, but Harri stood rooted in place. She watched as the three adult wizards began arguing amongst themselves, as if she and the others were no longer important. Her eyes narrowed; there was more to this, she knew… more than what was being said. Despite the conflicting emotions running through her, there was one thing of which she was absolutely certain – she was not about to let it end here, not like this! She was going to get answers, no matter what it took!

Lupin was still trying to reason with Snape, his hands raised in a pacifying gesture. Of course, it didn't help that Black kept throwing out sharp insults at Snape – despite the fact that he still had him at wand-point. "Severus," he said quietly. "Please, let us all just go back up to castle. I'm sure once we get there we'll be able to straighten everything out—"

"Yes, we'll all go… the two of you in chains!" Dark eyes darted back towards the young brunette gazing hard at him. "Potter! Help Granger with Weasley!"

Harri took a step back, edging slowly over to Hermione. Eyes still on the three wizards, she surreptitiously slid the 10 ¾" vine wood wand from the other girl's pocket. Before Hermione could make any sort of objection, Harri already had a firm grip, leveling it on the dark haired wizard in front of her.

At her sudden movement, Snape turned towards her again. "Potter, didn't I tell you—" His eyes widened at the sight of the wand pointed towards him. "Wha—?"

Although she knew what she was about to do was absolute insane - as well as illegal - Harri did not hesitate. "EXPELLIARMUS!!"


	2. Confrontation II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The true betrayer of the Potters is finally revealed.

"Expelliarimus!" 

Harri watched impassively as her spell hit the Potions professor head on, knocking him backwards into the old four post bed situated against the far wall. The canopy above collapsed down on top of him, sending up a thick cloud of dust and debris.

Silence descended upon the room for several seconds before Hermione exclaimed shrilly, "Harri! Have you gone mad?!"

"You attacked a teacher," Ron chimed in, his face pale in shock – either from pain or surprise, or both. "What the hell--?!"

"I want answers," the brunette said sharply, leveling the 'borrowed wand' at the two adults left standing – one of which was gawking at her in shock, the other with… pride…? "What were you saying before – what's this about Pettigrew?"

"His name was on the map," Lupin replied. She nodded. "The only way that could be possible is if he were actually in the corridor with you."

She blinked at him; how did he know--? She halted that thought, recalling that night in the corridor. There'd been no sign of anyone else in hall with her. How could he have possibly been there? "The map had to be wrong then…"

"I told you--the map is never wrong!" Black exclaimed. "Pettigrew was there. He's even here – right in this very room!"

"Where?"

"There!" 

A pale faced Ron blinked owlishly at the bony finger being pointed his way. "Wha… me? He's mental!"

Sirius let out a little growl of frustration. "Not you," he snapped. "Your rat!"

Both Harri and Hermione turned to stare at the old rodent in his white knuckled grasp.

"Scabbers?" the boy exclaimed. "But Scabbers has been in my family for—"

"12 years, eh?" A sneer spread across the convict's sallow face. "Uncommonly long life for your average rat." His hollow eyes narrowed. "He's missing a finger, isn't he?"

"Yeah, but what's that got to—"

"A finger…" Harri murmured. Slowly the pieces were starting to come together; she wasn't certain she was going to like the image they came up with. "That's all they could find of Pettigrew… his finger…"

Black's face tightened in anger. "The dirty coward cut it off to make it look like that was all that was left of him."

"Madness," Ron was muttering. "Pure madness…"

Hermione's face was white as a sheet; Harri didn't know if she was going to faint or be ill. She turned her attention back towards Sirius, her expression intense. "Show me." she demanded.

Black nodded resolutely before striding towards Ron. The boy let out a startled yelp, scrambling backwards as much as his injured leg would allow. The rat in his white knuckled grip was shrieking loudly, trying to wriggle away.

Harri's green eyes narrowed as she witnessed this. Was it actually possible…? "Ron," she murmured. "Let'im go."

Blue eyes widened in disbelief. "Wha--? No!"

"Ron!"

Using his distraction to his advantage, Scabbers finally broke free. Scrambling as quickly as his rodent legs would allow, he dove off of the mattress, making a beeline straight for the door. Lupin and Black reacted quickly, flashing their wands after the creature in attempts to stun him. He neatly evaded each strike until finally a spell from Black's stolen wand hit the rodent as he leapt towards a hole in the door. There was a squeak and a loud pop as a cloud of sawdust obscured him from view. Once it settled however, all three youths let out a startled gasp at the sight of squat, dumpy little balding man cowering on the floor. 

He was dirty and unshaven, his clothes as tattered and filthy as Sirius' prison robes. He stared up at them with watery eyes deep set in his saggy face; he twitched anxiously as he cowered, still slightly resembling the rodent he had just been moments ago. Another animagus like Black then; could he really be Peter Pettigrew?

The two other adults grabbed him, hoisting him to his feet. With a harsh shove from Black, he landed in the middle of the floor on his bottom with a soft thump. He gazed up at the pair with wide, fearful eyes.

"Sirius… Remus…" he simpered piteously. "My old friends…!"

With more agility than one would expect for a man of his physique, Peter made a quick dash for the door, only to be thwarted by the even quicker convict. Sirius blocked his path, brandishing his wand in his face menacingly. "You sorry, disgusting worm… How dare you!"

Lupin flanked him on his right, holding up his wand as well. Although his expression was blank, his gray eyes were flashing with silent fury. "You sold James and Lily out to Voldemort!"

Pettigrew flinched, letting out a short wail. "I didn't mean to!" he yowled pitifully, hunching in on himself as if that would somehow protect him from the two angry wizards' wrath. "I had no choice! You've no idea the power the Dark Lord possesses!" Fat tears rolled down his dirty cheeks as he turned his beseeching gaze to Black. "Sirius – what would you have done?!"

Blacks face twisted in rage as he fisted the dusty frayed lapel of the other animagus' jacket, tossing him once more to the floor. "I would have died!" he snarled fiercely. "I would have died before betraying my friends!"

Fearful for his life, Pettigrew let out another yowl, crawling frantically away before he came to a stop at Ron's feet. The boy let out a yelp as he grabbed at his pant leg. "Young master…" he begged. "Haven't I been a good pet, a good rat…? You won't let them hurt your old Scabbers…?"

Ron reared back in both fear and disgust. He'd actually let him sleep in his room, in his bed no less!

Realizing he was a lost cause, the turncoat turned his sights to Hermione. "What of you, sweet girl? Clever girl--"

"Get away from my students!" Lupin growled.

Pettigrew wailed again, making another dash for the door. This time he found himself blocked by a stern-faced brunette with familiar green eyes. Stumbling towards her, he grasped onto her shoulders desperately. "Oh, oh… dear Harriett… Look at you… Apple of your parents' eyes, you are! You won't let them kill me, will you?" His grip tightened, causing Harri to wince slightly. "Your dear old dad wouldn't have let it end like this – he would have shown me merc—ack!"

Sirius pulled Peter away from her with another harsh yank, pressing his wand against his windpipe. "How dare you talk to her!" he snarled. "How dare you even touch her!"

"Sirius… Remus… Please, I beg you!"

"It's too late, Peter," Lupin said quietly, without a single shred of remorse in his voice or expression. "This is the end. You should have known that if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would." He paused, glancing over at Black. "Ready?"

Sirius nodded back, his expression resolute. "Together." His grip on his wand tightened. "On three - one… two…"

Peter sobbed loudly.

"Stop!" Harri cried out, stepping between the three of them. "Don't kill him!"

Sirius stared at her, confusion evident on his gaunt face.

"Harri," Lupin said slowly. "This man is…"

"I know who he is and I know what he's done," She didn't spare Pettigrew a single glance, letting her gaze alternate between the two standing wizards instead. "But I don't think my dad would want his two best friends becoming murderers on his account." She turned to Sirius again, holding his gaze. "I think you've suffered enough."

Something in his dark gray eyes shifted, giving them a more human quality. He let out a quiet breath, slowly lowering his wand.

Realizing he was still alive and apparently safe from harm, Peter let out a breathless laugh. "Oh, oh thank you! Thank you!" He reached out towards Harri, grasping her sleeve with a wide grin. "Sweet, sweet gir—!"

"Get off!" Fed up with his groveling, Harri whirled on him with her fist pulled back, socking him clean across the chin. He hit the floor with a satisfying thud. "Once we turn you over to the Aurors, the Dementors can have you for all I care!"

The room fell into silence once more until Ron let out a snort. "You've been looking to punch something all day, haven't you?"

Harri turned to him, smirking faintly. "Well, Hermione got to hit Malfoy."

The bushy haired witch let out a small huff, muttering, "Honestly…"

The other witch's smirk widened. "And besides," she went on. "If anybody had it coming, that creep did."

Ron nodded seriously. "So then, what now?"

She paused, turning back to the two adults. The pair of them still looked a bit stunned. Harri cocked her head in curiosity. "Well…?"

It took a few moments for Lupin to come back to his senses. Once he did, he fixed them with a tired, half-smile. "Well, I suppose the first order of business should be getting you lot back up to the castle… We can get everything sorted out there." 

Harri grimaced slightly, remembering the still unconscious professor on the other side of the room. Boy, was that a conversation she was NOT looking forward to…

Black met her gaze, his eyes curious. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She'd tried to kill the man and yet he was asking if she was alright… "M'fine…" she mumbled, embarrassed and mortified now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off. "You?"

He paused, as if considering. Then, a smile spread across his face, allowing Harri to see some semblance of the young man from her parents' photo album. "Never better!"


	3. An Unexpected Offer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius makes Harri an offer she cannot refuse.

It took a little bit of work, but with the use of a few restraining spells for their prisoner and a well placed Mobilicorpus for the Potions Professor, the group managed to make their way out of the tunnel from the Shrieking Shack, re-emerging at the base of Whomping Willow relatively no worse for the wear...

"How's your leg, Ron...?" Hermione asked gently, readjusting the redhead's arm across her shoulder.

Grimacing just slightly, he turned to her with a small smirk. "I'm afraid the healers may have to chop it." he muttered. 

She tsked in a mixture of worry and exasperation. "Don't say things like that!" she admonished sharply.

Black set the invisibly bound Pettigrew down with a flick of his wand, coming to a stop beside them looking a bit chagrined. "Sorry about the bite," he said. "I was aiming for the rat."

Still a little leery of the man, innocent of not he had spent 12 years in a Wizard's Prison, Ron nodded a little stiffly. After all, his mad little nursery rhyme back in the shack wasn't exactly broadcasting 'sane'. "Right..." he murumured. "O'course..."

The older wizard ran a hand through his tangled hair, grimacing slightly. "I usually have a good temperament as a dog," he admitted abashedly. "Taking the form of Padfoot's what kept me sane, really."

Ron opened his mouth to comment, but Hermione elbowed him in the side.

Oblivious to their exchange, Black continued on, "More than once James suggested I make the change permanent."

"Why didn't you?" Ron asked, only to let out a yelp when Hermione pinched him.

Black paused, thoughtful. "Well, probably because the fleas would have _really _driven me insane!" He grinned at them before wandering off to survey their surroundings.__

 _ _Sirius Black, feared and reviled convict... Unregistered animagus and co-conspirator partly responsible for the creation of the infamous Marauder's Map. The twins would have kittens if they knew...__

Ron eyed the older wizard as he ambled away from the group outside of the Whomping Willow, his freckled face twisted in a grimace – whether in pain or from the craziness of the situation no one could be sure. He waited until Black was far enough out of earshot before muttering, "I still say he's nutters." Marauder or not, he'd still bit him while trying to murder his pet rat.

"Shush, Ron!" Hermione reprimanded him. Glancing over at Harri, her brows raised as she gave her a pointed look. "Well?"

The dark haired witch tilted her head curiously. "Well what?"

"Are you going?"

Green eyes blinked. "Going…?"

The bushy-haired witch let out an exasperated sigh, gesturing towards the frail looking man in the distance. He was busy staring up at the dark silhouette of the castle with a thoughtful expression on his face. Knowing her friend would not rest until she made some attempt to speak with the man, Harri tucked her recovered wand back into her pocket and ambled over to his side.

He glanced briefly at her as she made her approach, but then returned his attention to surveying the castle. For what seemed like hours, neither of them spoke. Harri quietly observed the taller wizard, who seemed to be soaking in everything like a sponge. Several times she found herself opening her mouth to speak, but each time she found she had no idea what to say.

'" _Hey, thanks for saving my life back there… no hard feelings about the whole trying to kill you thing, right…? _"' Her eyes crossed when the words came off as ridiculous even in her own head. ' _Ugh… Harri, you're an idiot…! _'____

____"It really is something else, isn't it?"_ _ _ _

____She paused, glancing over at him again. His focus was still on that of the castle in the distance, the expression on his face one of quiet awe and wonder._ _ _ _

____"I never used to appreciate the view back when I was younger…" he went on. "But it really is quite amazing…"_ _ _ _

____Turning back to the spires and parapets that made up the castle she called home, she couldn't help but agree. "Yeah," she murmured softly. "It really is."_ _ _ _

____Sirius glanced over at her, using her distraction to take in her features quietly. To think that it really had been 12 years… "So, Harriett… or I suppose you go by Harri, don't you?"_ _ _ _

____She blinked at the sudden subject change. "Uh yeah…" she answered. "I don't think anybody actually calls me Harriett."_ _ _ _

____He nodded, apparently unsure of what to say. "Harriett was your grandmother's name I think," he said. "Your mother chose it…"_ _ _ _

____Harri nodded absently at this bit of information. It was no wonder Aunt Petunia never used her full name; there was no way she would want any association between the two of them._ _ _ _

____Another stretch of silence fell between them only to be broken by Sirius once again. "I don't know if you're aware," he began casually, as if they were merely discussing the weather. "But your parents… named me your Godfather."_ _ _ _

____She blinked, quite unsure how to respond to the statement. In the end she decided on bluntness. "I know."_ _ _ _

____Sirius seemed a little nonplussed at the casualness of her response, for he floundered a few moments before speaking again. "Well… the reason I mention it… that is… I know you're living with your aunt and uncle and I understand if you'd like to stay with them… that is…"_ _ _ _

____Harri blinked. "Wait, what…?"_ _ _ _

____He let out a short laugh that belied his nervousness and unease. "What I'm trying to say, Harri, is… that once I'm able… if you'd ever like to… you're welcome to come stay with me…"_ _ _ _

____Green eyes regarded him earnestly. "You mean like live with you…?" she asked. "Like, for real?" He nodded. "You're serious?"_ _ _ _

____"So I've been told," he laughed again, nervousness evident in his expression and tone. "Although, like I said, I understand if you want to stay with your relatives-"_ _ _ _

____Her brain was having a difficult time processing the words coming out of his mouth. Was he offering what she thought he was offering? Harri jerked, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "Are you kidding me?!" she exclaimed loudly. Sirius blinked at her, his face falling at was he assumed was a rejection to his offer. However, before he could speak, Harri dove forward, wrapping her arms around his middle. "Of course I'd love to come live with you!" she cried out, her eyes shining brightly. "Do you have a place? "When can I come?"_ _ _ _


	4. Ill Met by Moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y'know, Professor Snape set that essay about werewolves for a reason...
> 
> Turn to page three hundred and ninety-four...

"Do you have a place? When can I come?"

Sirius gaped down at her for a few seconds before a startled smile spread across his face. However, before he could respond, the moment between the two wizards was suddenly broken by a sharp, startled cry from behind. They turned, eyes focusing on a pale-faced Hermione, who was pointing off into the horizon with a look of abject terror upon on her dirt-smudged face.

"Look!" she exclaimed.

At first Harri could see nothing amiss, but then the dark clouds on the horizon parted to reveal the bright light of the moon…

The FULL moon.

All eyes went to Lupin, who was gazing at the sky with a hazed sort of look in his eyes, his body rigid as stone. Then suddenly he seemed to fold in on himself, letting out a loud groan of pain as his body succumbed to a fit of spasming seizures.

Sirius let out a loud curse as he released Harri, rushing over to his old comrade. "Remus, Remus…!" he called out, receiving only a pained gurgle in response. "Speak to me, Remus… Please tell me you remembered to take your potion today…!"

The other wizard sucked in a deep breath, releasing it in a guttural snarl. With quick moves, he latched onto Sirius, his clawed nails digging into his arms painfully. Wincing, Sirius could only watch as Lupin tilted his head back, letting out a long howl as his body progressed through the Change.

"Run, you three!" the convict barked out, trying to keep his throat away from the rapidly elongating teeth snapping at him. Lupin's nose and mouth had morphed into a canine muzzle, powerful enough to snap his neck like a twig. No longer was he the mild-mannered Defense Against the Dark Arts professor; he was dangerous. "Run! Now!"

Harri scrambled backwards towards her friends immediately, frantically helping Hermione pull the injured Ron to his feet. They had to act quickly; they had to get out of there before they—

"Potter!"

A hand grabbed the brunette from behind, yanking her around to face the furious countenance of a certain Potions professor. His eyes flashed angrily as he gave her a rough shake. "When I get through with you--!"

"Look out!" Ron yelled.

Snape glanced up, his sallow face paling even further at the sight of the lumbering beast suddenly towering over them. Standing at 7 feet tall, the lycanthrope that had once been Professor R J Lupin stared at them with glowing amber eyes, his teeth slightly bared as he growled low in his throat.

"Professor…?" Hermione called out hesitantly.

"Quiet!" Snape hissed, pushing her and Ron backwards behind him. He braced his arms outwards, shielding them behind the voluminous folds of his cape. His eyes shot to the brunette witch who stepped away from them. "Potter!"

Ignoring his call, Harri kept her focus on the werewolf before her. He panted heavily, standing slightly hunched over as if he were injured or hurt. Her green eyes darkened as she recalled how weak and exhausted he'd looked whenever he returned to class; were the transformations that terrible? She turned to ask Sirius, her eyes widening in alarm when she realized he was nowhere in sight.

'Where did he go…?'

Another growl roused her out of her thoughts. Lupin's lips curled back, revealing more of his fangs; a definite warning to back off if she'd ever seen one. With her arms raised in surrender, she slowly began backing away.

"It's all right," she murmured softly in what she hoped was a soothing voice. "I'm not gonna hurt you… Don't you recognize me, Professor…? It's me, Harri…"

The snarling suddenly ceased and Lupin leaned forward, his large snout snuffling Harri's face and hair. Although she was aware that it was probably a bad move on her part, she took another slow step backwards, much like she had before. Unfortunately, due to the fact that she couldn't see where she was going, she wound up stumbling backwards over Pettigrew's bound, unconcious form. She floundered for balance, pinwheeling a bit ungracefully before hitting the ground with a thud and a yelp.

Of course, her sharp yell did nothing but startle the teacher-turned-lycanthrope, and without warning he lunged towards her again with teeth bared.

Harri's green eyes widened in terror; dimly she was aware of someone yelling her name, but she dare not look away. If she was going to die at this moment, the least she could do was meet it head on—

A flash of black nearly caused her to turn away, and she let out another gasp as a huge black dog ('Sirius!' she thought with a mixture of fear and relief) leapt at the werewolf, sending them both tumbling into the grass. Lycan-Lupin howled in pain and outrage, grappling at the large animal, tugging at the thick fur on the back of his neck. The two beasts rolled and tussled through the tall grass, clawing and scratching at each other; finally, Lupin managed to grab hold of the canine, chucking him away like a log. He tumbled down the hillside, vanishing into the bramble with a pained yelp.

"Sirius, no!" Harri cried out, starting off towards him only to stop at the sound of Lupin's warning growl. The wolf settled himself back on his haunches, claws flexed and teeth bared. Realizing he was aiming to pounce at her once again, the brunette frantically reached for her wand.

Lupin snarled at the sight of the 11" holly wand in her hand, and the young witch did her best to keep her arm steady. She didn't want to use it - really, she'd attacked enough teachers for one day - but he really wasn't leaving her any options. "I'm sorry, Professor," she said quietly. "But I can't let you hurt Sirius! Stupe--!"

Suddenly a long, loud howl rent the air, halting the incantation on her lips. She whipped her head around, searching for its source; could there possibly be another werewolf nearby? Lupin seemed to think so, for he answered with a howl of his own before taking off after it.

Grateful for the opening, Harri immediately took off down the hillside after her god-father, heedless of others calling after her. However, a thorough search yielded no sign of his human nor Animagus form. That left only one place to look – the Forbidden Forest.

'Just hold on, Sirius!' she thought desperately as she took off running again. 'I'm coming!'


	5. Game Over?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sharks aren't the only ones who follow the scent of blood on the water.

Harri took off for the thick copse of trees that formed the entrance to the Forbidden Forest, paying no heed to the others calling out her. Her green eyes scanned the dark shadows desperate for any sign of the large dog that had saved her life. A few meters in, Harri crested a hill and spotted a small figure at its base standing slightly hunched over as if in pain. After a few moments of trying to stay upright, it took on a more humanoid before stumbling off behind another cluster of trees.

"Sirius? Sirius, wait!"

Tripping over several thick roots jutting up out of the ground, the young witch stumbled and fell several times before reaching the bottom of the hill. Darting through the trees, she following the sound of pained whimpers until they brought her to a small lake. There she found Sirius, who'd reverted back to his human form upon losing consciousness.

"Sirius? Sirius!!" Harri quickly rushed to his side, her green eyes widening at the blood sluggishly oozing out of a wound on his chest. Panic began to mount inside of her when he didn't respond to her frantic calls, but she fought to keep it contained. Sirius was going to be just fine; they'd get him back to the castle, Madam Pomfrey would patch him up, Dumbledore would exonerate him and then Harri would go and live with him like planned. She'd never have to see the Dursleys again!

The wizard let out a pained groan, causing Harri to whimper with worry. She didn't know the first thing about first aid, but she had to do something, anything! She couldn't let him down now – not after everything he'd done for her! "Don't worry, Sirius," she murmured, touching his arm hesitantly. "It's gonna be okay. Everything's gonna be just fi-"

A sudden chill washed over her suddenly, stealing her breath away. The wind picked up, tugging at her clothing and stinging her cheeks. When she tried to bundle Sirius' threadbare coat closer about his body, several shadows passed by overhead, drawing her gaze skyward.

What she saw made her blood run cold.

Dozens upon dozens of Dementors – greater in number than the time at the Quidditch pitch – hovered just above the tree canopy, with more seemingly arriving with each passing minute. Harri watched with horrified eyes as they began circling around them like vultures around a dying animal.

The thought that the 'dying animal' just so happened to have a price on his head due to his escape from Azkaban – the prison they were charged to guard no less – lay unconscious at her feet made her heart freeze in her chest. 

"Oh God… no…"

As if they'd only been waiting for some cue, some sign, several Dementors swooped down towards them, their gaping lipless mouths sucking greedily at the pair of them. Harri let out an anguished cry at the freezing, stabbing pain that lanced through her chest. Shuddering, she was vaguely aware that she could still hear her dead mother's phantom cries echoing in her head. What would she say, she wondered, if she knew how soon she was to join her…?

'No… we're not gonna die…!" she vowed silently to Sirius, letting out another sharp cry as another Dementor swooped by. 'Not… like… this…!' She fumbled desperately for the wand in her pocket, her cold stiffened fingers grasping desperately at the wooden handle. Once she got hold of it, she yanked it out with a yell, forcing as much desperate energy into her incantation as she cried out, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!!"


	6. Saved by the Stag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harri and Sirius are spared the Dementor's Kiss by an unlikely source.

"Expecto Patronum!"

White light shot out of the 11" holly wand in Harri's hand, forming a domed shield between her, Sirius and the Dementors. The dark wraiths shrieked in outrage at the obstruction blocking them from their prey, rearing back at the spell's intensity. Refusing to be denied, they began pounding at the shield with their sickly, skeletal hands, wearing it down with each strike. Harri tried valiantly to hold her ground and maintain the spell, but the continued battering and ramming eventually brought her to her knees. 

Cold, sick, exhausted, and frightened, the young witch was helpless as a Dementor finally broke through her now pitiful barrier, greedily sucking away what remained of her positive emotional energy. She opened her mouth to gasp out in pain, but froze in fear as a strangled cry was ripped from the throat of the prone wizard behind her.

'No…' Whipping her head around, she watched Sirius' body go limp as a small orb of light rose from his cold lips. It hovered over him briefly before slowly wafting upwards towards the waiting clutches of the dark creatures above them.

They had done it. They had actually performed the Dementor's Kiss.

'This is it…' she thought to herself, her vision blurring. She was just so tired; she couldn't feel anything, could barely think. She just wanted to lie down and never get up. 'We're going to die here…' She cast another glance at the older wizard and the pale light drifting further and further away from him. He was going to die as well and it was all her fault.

He'd risked so much for her, and this was how she was repaying him. 'Sirius…' Tears caused her vision to blur even further. They froze in the bitter cold air, stinging her cheeks. 'I'm so sorr—'

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!!"

The clearing exploded in a bright flash of light, sending the Dementors into a frenzy. It continued to pulse brighter and brighter, like a star going supernova, pushing the creatures further and further away. When they could no longer withstand its intensity, the Dementors fled, their shrieking cries echoing into the dark skies. With them no longer present, the small orb representing Sirius' soul floated harmlessly back down into his body, ridding it of its ghostly pallor. There was a brief tense moment of silence before the haggard wizard took a deep, shuddering breath.

Harri would have laughed in relief had she the strength. Instead, she wearily lifted her head, seeking out the source spell that had saved their lives. The light that had chased off the Dementors began pulsing backwards towards its source, coalescing into a solid shape over the lake. Harri watched as the ethereal form took on four long legs, a sturdy torso, and a long, graceful neck. She was confused at first, but when the glowing being sprouted a set of antlers, Harri felt her heart skip a beat.

Professor Lupin had briefly mentioned the ability for a witch or wizard's Patronus to take on an actual form, but at the time she had not given it much thought. However, the fact that this Patronus had taken the form of a stag was not lost on her.

'Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs…' she recited in her head. 'Prongs... Could it really be…?' Weary green eyes strained as they watched the silvery ethereal creature trot gracefully across the still waters towards a shadowy figure standing on the opposite side of the lake. The figure patted the stag between its ears, praising it for a job well done, before releasing the spell.

Harri could think of only one person associated with a stag… Her mind finally succumbing to unconsciousness, her last thought was only one word.

'…Dad…'

After that, there was only oblivion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Each of these chapters was originally a stand-alone fic (some written out of sequence). I'll eventually add more to each year as I write them, so keep a look out!


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